One of the women who had previously had spontaneous abortions 3 times said that “this study allows at least to use our losses for something else and useful” and adds that she hopes that fewer women will go through the painful experiences she lived.
Danish researchers said that a blood test performed after a pregnancy loss, or spontaneous abortion, early in the fifth week of pregnancy, may help explain the cause of fetal death sometimes and take preventive treatment.
One in ten women worldwide suffers from spontaneous abortion, and the percentage is higher in countries where women give birth at a later age.
The Danish gynecologist and obstetrician, Henriette Sfarh, with her team, published research in the British scientific journal The Lancet, stating that a blood test conducted for the mother after losing the pregnancy early in the fifth week can explain whether the fetus suffers from a malformation or defect in the chromosome.
In Denmark, medical institutions usually conduct this type of examination if the pregnant woman had previously faced the same problem and lost her fetus three times, or only if this happened in the tenth week of pregnancy.
Troubleshooting and anticipating risks
In the course of the ongoing study, 75 percent of pregnant women visiting a Danish hospital who experienced a pregnancy loss accepted blood tests.
A woman who visits this hospital, speaking anonymously because she did not tell all her family and friends about her miscarriage, says she will undoubtedly do a blood test because “it is self-evident and will help her understand what happened.”
The hospital sends the blood test to its laboratory immediately, where the fetal DNA is isolated, disassembled, and studied in order to determine if there is any abnormality in it.
A defect or abnormality in the DNA causes 50 to 60 percent of spontaneous abortions, according to previous scientific studies.
Doctors can determine the extent of the risks of these abnormalities after studying them and evaluating their risks each one separately, which will help them anticipate potential risks during the next pregnancy.
Pregnancy loss can be the result of hormonal imbalances, endocrine diseases, clotting problems, or lifestyle issues. If an explanation is found, doctors can identify the risks and develop a treatment plan.
The project was launched in the Danish capital, Copenhagen, in 2020, and it is ongoing, and it is likely that it will succeed in collecting the largest database, highlighting different types of diseases.
So far, 1,700 women who have spontaneously lost their fetuses have participated in it.
So that sadness does not go to waste
The doctor supervising the study, Safara, calls for making more efforts and spending more money to understand this phenomenon scientifically and try to prevent it.
Fetal loss is common, and about 25 percent of pregnancies end in fetal loss, Safara says.
The doctor points out that the primary concern of science and scientists has always been to find the best and safest way to empty the uterus after any pregnant woman has been exposed to this accident, not to search for a cure for it despite its commonness.
One of the women who had previously had spontaneous abortions 3 times, said that “this study allows at least to use our losses for something else and useful” and adds that she hopes that fewer women will go through the painful experiences she lived.
The discussion in societies, even the developed ones, on this issue is still somewhat taboo. Women rarely speak out on this matter and if they do, they may face embarrassing reactions.
With some irony, another woman who visits the hospital after losing her fetus says, “Everyone says that losing a pregnancy is normal,” and then adds, “But losing a pregnancy does not become normal or normal just because everyone says that.”
Discussing this issue may make it difficult even between spouses, especially if one of them wants to go into treatment.
According to the person in charge of the study, the results of this medical advance may help avoid about 5 percent of the more than thirty million spontaneous abortions around the world.
